I'll be doing a trip from Johannesburg to Philadelphia early in July. My choices are as follows:
1. South African 747-400 directly to New York (refuel stop at Ille del Sol)
2. Swissair MD-11 from Johannesburg to Zurich and then MD-11 again to New York
3. Sabena flies an A340 from Johannesburg to Europe and, I presume, to the US.

Other airlines use similar equipment from JNB. So there we go. I have a choice between the biggest, the last of a breed and the newest. What is your advice to me?

Hey dude your going to get kicked off pretty soon. I already got two warnings for doing nothing. The owner of this place is bias twards airbus. Dont get me wrong I like AB its just i hate it when ignorant people bash and slander boeing.

I had recently the "pleasure" to fly in a Delta MD-11 which was 2-5-2 or 3-5-3 (I don´t recall it exactly) configurated. I don´t need to have this pleasure again, especially when you´re so unlucky to be seated in the absolute middle. The A340 is just fine. But I think it is your choice, we can only say what we´ve experienced. My favourite carrier is LH so I would probably fly via FRA, JNB-FRA with the 742 or 744 and FRA-JFK with the 744 or 343. I´m not sure but I think LH serves Philadelphia non-stop from FRA.

Don't worry Ben, Airbussucks' comments certainly don't reflect what intelligent people think. He has only one agenda here, and that is to piss people off. Just another lonely kid out of school for the summer with no friends, and nothing better to do. As an American, I'm ashamed that someone like this is trying to represent my country. What a disgrace!

I'd suggest you take the Swissair MD-11 if you've not already flown in one before, since within a few years they'll start disappearing from SR's fleet. As for the 744 and the 340, they'll be around in passenger service for a long time to come. I believe SR's MD11 have 3-4-2 seating in their Y-class (unless you plan to fly F or C class), so you won't run the risk of being stuck in the "seat-from-hell" in a 2-5-2 arrangement. Besides, a stopover in ZRH could be a lot of fun.